Always an applicant (until now!)

Seven weeks ago, I was having a pretty great night. I was on my way home from the theater around 10:15 pm, after the second night of our production of The Drunken City by Adam Bock. We got a lot of laughs that night, and I was feeling good.

And then I checked my e-mail, and saw the best subject line, ever:

Welcome to the New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC)

I almost dropped my phone. I did a little dance and the guy working in the nearby newspaper stand just watched.

Ever since I moved to NYC in 2000, I have wanted to be a part of the Fringe. I’ve auditioned as an actor, I’ve submitted shows as a producer, and this year, I will get to wear both hats in our production of Books on Tape by William Missouri Downs.

Books on Tape is a love letter to New Yorkers looking for love and meaning in their every day lives. The comedy follows four characters in search of meaningful narration: Adriane, a girl who loves to listen to books on tape, to Jeffrey, the voice over actor who records them, to Donna Paige Miller, a celebrated self-help author and Larry, a religious leader.

It’s been a whirlwind ever since we heard: talking with the playwright, who is flying in from Wyoming for the first read-through, speed dates with directors, meeting deadlines for our artwork, the inspiring first town hall meeting with FringeNYC co-founder Elena K. Holy, and today we held auditions! More to come on this blog about our first time in Fringe, all the collaborators between now and then, and a lot of hilarious stuff that happens in the process of creating seriously funny theater.

--Jake